GCW Owner Brett Lauderdale recently joined the PWPonderings podcast to discuss a number of different topics, most notably why he decided to give deathmatch king Nick Gage the first official GCW contract, and how it was done to protect Gage for his pro-wrestling future. Highlights from the interview can be found below.
Says Gage got a contract with GCW because of his contributions to the promotion, and to help protect Gage for his future:
Well there was a lot that went into that decision [signing Nick Gage to an exclusive deal with GCW]. You know, I always said that I would never have any contracts and I meant it, but, this was an exception to the rule and there was a lot of reasons that led into it and you know, some that I don’t even — that I don’t wanna talk about and probably that will never be talked about publicly. But it wasn’t as… just say it was a situation that had a lot behind it and aside from the fact that he does deserve it and he certainly earned, again, [an] income of sorts and everything he’s done before has warranted what he’s now getting. But, a lot of — signing Nick to a contract was as much — was not as much to benefit GCW as it was to benefit and protect him and make it so that at this point in his career, he doesn’t have to go and wrestle every weekend and put his body on the line and put himself at risk. This was as much to help us as it was to help him and that’s the best way I can say it at this point.
On when Gage will return to GCW:
It’s hard to say [how much longer Nick Gage will continue to wrestle]. Right now, he has zero matches scheduled and I don’t know when his next match will be if there ever will be another one to be honest with you. Again, I don’t want that be to taken the wrong way. I’m not saying that he’s retired or anything but what I’m saying is, you know, unless there’s a reason for him to wrestle, then I don’t know that he’s going to. He is very beaten up and he’s — 20 years of doing this will leave you beat up and… it will make it difficult for you to continue doing this so, you know, I don’t know when he’ll wrestle again. It doesn’t mean he’ll never wrestle again. I just don’t know when and there’s no rush so we’ll see what happens.
(H/T and transcribed by Post Wrestling
)